An official of the Sudanese Commission for Refugees in the Blue Nile State, Al-Jaili Al-Hindi Al-Sharif, says more than 400 Ethiopian refugees have crossed into Sudan’s Blue Nile State in the past few days due to incidents in Ethiopia’s Tigray and Beni Shangul regions.
He said they have settled in Babajar, Gezira, Menza and Al-Daim areas, the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported on Saturday.
Mr. Al-Sharif said that officials of the Commission for Refugees have made field visits together with the concerned authorities to determine the required needs and assistance, explaining that “the situation is under control”.
He said that a registration process is continuing to settle the refugees and to preserve their properties.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has been expressing deep concern over the humanitarian situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.
The conflict between the Ethiopian Government and regional forces of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) began in early November, when the Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, ordered a military offensive after rebels attacked a federal army base.
Government forces reported that the region had been secured at the end of November, but TPLF resistance has continued amid accusations of extrajudicial killings and rights abuses.
More than 50,000 refugees are said to have crossed the border into Sudan since the conflict started.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia has strongly condemned reports that it is “using hunger as a weapon”.
The Ethiopian Government said it had mobilised and delivered over 31,000 tons of food, non-food items and medical supplies to Tigray Region in the past month, the state-run Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) said.
Besides, it added, it is putting in place “necessary security protocols to protect civilians, stabilise the region and capture remaining suspects of treasonous crimes”.
ENA said the Ethiopian National Defence Force and other security institutions had “demonstrated exceptional courage and skill” in the military operation against TPLF.
“There is a delicate and cautious balance that is to be observed in guaranteeing basic necessities while maintaining security in Tigray Region. Federal agencies, utility companies and other service providers are working at full speed to restore services in the region,” ENA quoted an official statement as saying. (PANA/NAN)